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Similar and Differing –
Mapping the lower Danube and Dimitrie Cantemir’s
lost Map of Moldavia in his time
KrIStA zACh
What else could earnestly be said about a lost map of the principality
of Moldavia dating from the early 18 th century, ‘delineated’ [drawn] by
prince Dimitrie Cantemir himself, presumably in St. petersburg, russia –
let alone the not yet discovered complete latin autograph of his Descriptio
Moldaviae 1 ? Whatever is known to date about both original Cantemirean
manuscripts had been assembled, thoroughly analysed, and published in
2004 by Andrei and Valentina Eşanu, their 2004 monograph being the most
authoritative compendium on this subject. to this were added a Biography
in 2008 2 and a comprehensive Bibliography in 2010. 3 What could further
be said about Cantemir’s lost map?
We are convinced that more progress regarding the genealogy of the
single maps of Moldova, Cantemir’s lost map included could be achieved
1 Several incomplete copies of this work exist in various archives. Scolars still
hope to find both autographs – Descriptio Moldaviae and Cantemir’s large hand-drawn
map of Moldavia – serarching even more thoroughly in russian, Dutch, German, French,
english, or other archives, studied or not yet studied before. EŞANU, Andrei – EŞANU,
Valentina: “Descrierea Moldovei de dimitrie cantemir în cultura europeană. studiu
monographic”. chişinău 2004, 35, 67, 69, 83, 85-89, 110 f.- A fragmentary latin copy
of the autograph (the so-called odessa manuscript formerly owned by Alexandru Scarlat
Sturdza) was published in facsimile by the two Khishinev authors: EŞANU – EŞANU:
Historicae Moldaviae. Partes Tres as an Anex to the same 2004 monograph, ibidem. the
odessa manuscript does not comprize a map of Moldavia.
2 EŞANU, Andrei (ed.): Dinastia Cantemireştilor. Secolele XVII-XVIII. chişinău
2008.
3 EŞANU, Andrei (chief ed.): Neamul Cantemireştilor. Bibliografie. chişinău
2010.